MKs Abesadze, Shamalov-Berkovich leave Kadima

Knesset Member Nino Abesadze has announced that she is leaving Kadima
and intends to contend in the Labor
Party's primaries.

Abesadze has spoken with Labor Chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich
several times over the past week to discuss the possibility of joining her party. The MK told Ynet on Thursday that she has made her decision after much consideration.

Later Thursday, MK Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich informed Kadima that she is leaving the party as well. The politician has previously said that Kadima's positions are not in line with her own rightist views, and added that she does not rule out joining Likud.

Two other Knesset member have quit Kadima earlier this week. MK Aryeh Bibi announced that he will contend in the Likud
Party's primaries, while MK Ruhama Avraham,
a founding member of Kadima, said that she will not run in the parliamentary elections in January, and will seek another public position instead.

Meanwhile, former Knesset Member MK Nadia Hilou and Raanana Mayor Nahum Hofri, both members of Labor, announced that they will seek House seats in the coming elections.